News from the Library of Congress

March 2025

February 2025

  • February 25, 2025  (25-015)
    Library and The Better Angels Society Open Submissions for Seventh Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film The Library of Congress, The Better Angels Society, Ken Burns, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced the open call for entries for the seventh annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, which provides critical recognition and resources to filmmakers who produce exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history.The Prize for Film was established in 2019 by the…
    • Date: 2025-02-26
  • February 19, 2025  (25-014)
    Attend a Regency Ball and Celebrate Women’s History Month During Live! At the Library in March Visitors are invited to celebrate the opening of the new Library of Congress exhibition “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution” during a Regency Ball during Live! At the Library on March 27. Attendees are encouraged to wear period costumes or U.S. and U.K.-inspired outfits. The program will include an English folk dance workshop, British-themed DJ sets, photo opportunities, a walkthrough…
    • Date: 2025-02-20
  • February 17, 2025  (25-012)
    Library of Congress Family Day Program Celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival The Library of Congress will host its annual Japanese Culture Day in celebration of the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual commemoration of Japan’s 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees to the U.S.Japanese Culture Day will be held at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program features family activities, Japanese musical instrument demonstrations,…
    • Date: 2025-02-18
  • February 10, 2025  (25-013)
    Feb. 11 Inclement Weather On Tuesday, February 11, due to pending inclement weather, the Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill will close to visitors and researchers at 1 p.m.
    • Date: 2025-02-11
  • February 6, 2025  (25-009)
    Library of Congress and Kansas State Department of Education Announce New Professional Learning Program The Library of Congress and the Kansas State Department of Education are working together to bring the Library’s foundational professional learning program “Teaching with Primary Sources” to K-12 educators and school librarians throughout the state in February and April 2025. The initiative is dedicated to working with rural communities to explore the use of primary sources from the national library’s vast – and free…
    • Date: 2025-02-07
  • February 3, 2025  (25-011)
    Join the Library of Congress for a Douglass Day 2025 Transcribe-a-Thon and Other Black History Month Events On Feb. 14, history enthusiasts and the public can celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Frederick Douglass by joining a virtual transcribe-a-thon of rare books and manuscripts on African American history on Douglass Day. In 2024, Library of Congress volunteers shattered records by completing 16,000 transcription actions on Douglass Day.Hosted by the Library’s By the People program, this virtual event celebrates Douglass’ chosen birthday and…
    • Date: 2025-02-04
  • February 2, 2025  (25-006)
    Mac Barnett Named New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader today announced the appointment of Mac Barnett as the 2025-2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Barnett is the ninth author to hold this position. He succeeds Meg Medina, who served as the National Ambassador from 2023 through 2024.Barnett is the author of more than 60 books for children, including “Twenty Questions,” “Sam & Dave…
    • Date: 2025-02-03

January 2025

  • January 29, 2025  (25-010)
    Copyright Office Releases Part 2 of Artificial Intelligence Report Today, the U.S. Copyright Office is releasing Part 2 of its report on the legal and policy issues related to copyright and artificial intelligence. This Part of the Report addresses the copyrightability of outputs created using generative AI.The Copyright Office affirms that existing principles of copyright law are flexible enough to apply to this new technology, as they have applied to technological innovations in…
    • Date: 2025-01-30
  • January 22, 2025  (25-004)
    2025 Supreme Court Fellows Program Annual Lecture to Feature U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson The Law Library of Congress and the Supreme Court Fellows Program will present a conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for the 2025 Supreme Court Fellows Program Annual Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m. EST.Jackson, born in Washington, D.C., in 1970, has been a justice on the Supreme Court since 2022. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard-Radcliffe College…
    • Date: 2025-01-23
  • January 22, 2025  (25-007)
    Story Time for Grown-ups during Live! At The Library during February Award-winning author-illustrators Cece Bell, Raúl the Third and 2008-2009 National Ambassador for Young People Literature Jon Scieszka will come to the Library of Congress on Feb. 6 for a story time themed event during Live! At the Library in February. Learn about the surprising mechanics and artistry of picture books, enjoy stimulating read-alouds during this cozy night all while sipping hot chocolate under a…
    • Date: 2025-01-23
  • January 22, 2025  (25-008)
    Library’s Monthly Family Day Series Continues in 2025 The Library of Congress will host Family Days on select Saturdays throughout 2025, including winter and spring programming around Valentine’s Day, Women’s History Month, Japanese Culture Day, and collections in the Music Division and the American Folklife Center. Each Family Day includes a creative activity, connections to Library of Congress collections, a chance to talk to staff experts, and a guide to using Library…
    • Date: 2025-01-23
  • January 12, 2025  (25-003)
    Library of Congress, National Park Service Announce 2024 Holland Prize Winner The Library of Congress and the National Park Service announced today that the 2024 Leicester B. Holland Prize will be presented to architectural designer Laura Pressley for a drawing of the Wainwright Tomb at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, designed by the noted early American modernist architect, Louis Sullivan.Considered one of Sullivan’s masterpieces, the Wainwright Tomb (1893) is a St. Louis landmark. It…
    • Date: 2025-01-13
  • January 7, 2025  (25-001)
    Library of Congress to Host Brooke Shields Discussing New Book on Aging The Library of Congress will host multi-award winner Brooke Shields to discuss her forthcoming book, "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old.” Visitors are invited to attend the conversation event at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 28 in the Coolidge Auditorium.There will be a book signing in the Whittall Pavilion following the conversation. Free tickets can be obtained at loc.gov/events.Shields is the…
    • Date: 2025-01-08
  • January 6, 2025  (25-005)
    Library of Congress to Host Author and Illustrator Dav Pilkey in January The Library of Congress will host Dav Pilkey, the No. 1 worldwide bestselling author and acclaimed illustrator of the global phenomenon “Dog Man” on Wednesday, Jan. 29 starting at 5:30 p.m. During this event, Pilkey will discuss his newest book, “Dog Man: Big Jim Begins” and talk about how books bring people together and help kids develop empathy and compassion.Following the author talk will…
    • Date: 2025-01-07
  • January 6, 2025  (25-002)
    Library of Congress Accepting Applications for the 2025 Literacy Awards Applications are being accepted for the 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Awards from Jan. 7 to Feb. 18. The awards are made possible through the generosity of philanthropist David M. Rubenstein and the Kislak Family Foundation.The Literacy Awards program, sponsored by David M. Rubenstein since 2013 and the Kislak Family Foundation since 2023, recognizes organizations that provide exemplary, innovative and replicable strategies to promote…
    • Date: 2025-01-07

December 2024

  • December 18, 2024  (24-A14)
    Advisory: Possible Federal Government Shutdown In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers.All public events will be cancelled. Also, all inquiries and requests to the Library of Congress web-based services will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends. Information on loc.gov will not be…
    • Date: 2024-12-19
  • December 18, 2024  (24-105)
    25 Films Named to National Film Registry for Preservation Twenty-five films have been selected for the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2024 due to their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today.The new selections date back nearly 130 years and include a diverse group of films, filmmakers and Hollywood landmarks. The selections span from a silent film created to entice…
    • Date: 2024-12-19
  • December 18, 2024  (24-106)
    Live! At the Library Features Expanded Food and Drink Offerings in Late January Visitors are invited to elevate their happy hour experience and try a new seasonally rotating menu of savory snacks, sweet treats and specialty cocktails on Thursday evenings during Live! At the Library in January. The Library will host the weekly offering Jan. 23 and Jan. 30, and the series takes a winter break Jan. 2-16. The expanded menu for Live! At the Library includes…
    • Date: 2024-12-19
  • December 10, 2024  (24-102)
    Library of Congress Announces Spring 2025 Concert Series Concerts from the Library of Congress continues to celebrate a century of landmark concerts in spring 2025, offering a rich and diverse kaleidoscope of classical music, jazz, pop, folk and dance events, with a major focus on contemporary American voices across genres.The season’s centerpiece is the premiere of Library of Congress commissions from three significant American composers; Tania Léon, Chris Otto and Jlin will…
    • Date: 2024-12-11
  • December 9, 2024  (24-A13)
    Special Operating Hours, Dec. 2024-Jan. 2025 The following is the holiday and special events operation schedule, including building closures for inclement weather, for the Library of Congress for December 2024 through January 2025:Tuesday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve)Wednesday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)All Library buildings will be CLOSED.The Library’s public spaces and reading rooms will operate as usual during its regular hours Thursday, Dec. 26 through Monday, Dec. 30.Tuesday, Dec. 31 (New…
    • Date: 2024-12-10
  • December 4, 2024  (24-104)
    Library to Host 25th Anniversary National Book Festival in September 2025 The Library of Congress will host the 2025 National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Washington Convention Center, festival organizers announced today.This will mark the 25th anniversary of the Library of Congress National Book Festival, which was co-founded in 2001 with first lady Laura Bush. In 2025, the festival will expand its footprint in the Washington Convention Center to host book…
    • Date: 2024-12-05
  • December 2, 2024  (24-103)
    Library Appoints New Chief for National Audio-Visual Conservation Center The Library of Congress has named Rachael Stoeltje as the new chief of the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, which includes the Library’s Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, beginning in January 2025.Stoeltje will oversee the state-of-the-art facility where the Library of Congress acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings.…
    • Date: 2024-12-03
  • December 1, 2024  (24-098)
    Library of Congress Launches Digitized Collection of National AIDS Memorial Quilt Records The Library of Congress has released a groundbreaking online collection of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt Records, making one of the most poignant symbols of the AIDS epidemic in the United States available to a global audience. As the largest communal art project in the world, the AIDS Memorial Quilt honors the lives of all Americans who have died of AIDS since 1981, when…
    • Date: 2024-12-02

November 2024

  • November 24, 2024  (24-101)
    Library of Congress to Host Panel on Human Rights Day The Library of Congress will host an online panel discussion about Human Rights Day on Dec. 4 focused on the state of accessibility laws worldwide, featuring a member of Congress and experts from the Library. The timely discussion, ahead of the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will address the legal frameworks for expanding access for individuals with disabilities and how…
    • Date: 2024-11-25
  • November 19, 2024  (24-097)
    Library of Congress to Celebrate Meg Medina’s Two Years as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader will celebrate Meg Medina’s two-year term as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature with a special closing event for local students in the Washington, D.C., area on Dec. 12.“Meg Medina’s tenure as ambassador was extraordinary,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “Not only did Meg show us how talking about books develops our reading lives,…
    • Date: 2024-11-20
  • November 19, 2024  (24-100)
    Celebrate the Holidays During Live! At The Library in December Visitors are invited to celebrate the holidays during Live! At the Library in December during our holiday celebration on Dec. 12. Enjoy festive happy hour food and drinks, winter crafts and live music all while enjoying the most beautiful Christmas tree in Washington, D.C.On Dec. 19, hear the Library's Stradivari instruments played live by the Pacifica Quartet. Plus, visitors on Dec. 26 are invited…
    • Date: 2024-11-20
  • November 13, 2024  (24-094)
    Library of Congress Acquires Papers of Academy Award-Winning Songwriter Burt Bacharach Library of Congress Acquires Papers of Academy Award-Winning Songwriter Burt BacharachBacharach’s Papers are the Library’s First Collection from a Gershwin Prize HonoreeThe Library of Congress has acquired the papers of songwriter and composer Burt Bacharach. Bacharach’s songs are best known for influencing popular music starting in the late 1950s. This is the first collection acquired from a recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin…
    • Date: 2024-11-14
  • November 13, 2024  (24-A12)
    Jefferson Building Access Nov. 14 On Thursday, Nov. 14, due to a special event, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building will close to visitors at 3 p.m. There is no impact to James Madison Memorial or John Adams buildings.Researchers may access the Jefferson Building reading rooms as they will be open normal hours of service with regular access, however the Main Reading Room will close at 4:30 p.m. Entry is…
    • Date: 2024-11-14
  • November 12, 2024  (24-099)
    Library of Congress Awards Bobbitt Poetry Prize to Arthur Sze The Library of Congress will award the 2024 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry to National Book Award winner Arthur Sze for lifetime achievement in poetry.Sze of Santa Fe, New Mexico, will receive the prize on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m. during an event in the Mumford Room of the Library’s Madison Building. The event is free, and registration is open to…
    • Date: 2024-11-13
  • November 3, 2024  (24-A11)
    Library Open for Veterans Day Nov. 11 The Library of Congress will be open to visitors with timed-entry passes on the federal Veterans Day holiday, Monday, November 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including public spaces in the Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions.In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the Library's magnificent Main Reading Room — a rare opportunity to go inside one of Washington’s most beautiful…
    • Date: 2024-11-04

October 2024

  • October 24, 2024  (24-093)
    NPR’s ‘Book of the Day,’ ‘Wild Card’ and ‘Short Wave’ Podcasts Feature 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival NPR’s “Book of the Day,” “Wild Card” and “Short Wave” podcasts feature interviews with NPR journalists and national authors from this year’s Library of Congress National Book Festival held in August 2024. Current and upcoming episodes include recorded panels and interviews with NPR hosts Michel Martin, Rachel Martin, Emily Kwong, Regina Barber and authors Sandra Cisneros, James McBride, Rebecca Yarros, Joy Buolamwini, and Kyle…
    • Date: 2024-10-25
  • October 23, 2024  (24-091)
    Library Celebrates a New School Year, Hosting Two Albert Einstein Fellows The Library of Congress has announced it will host two Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows for the 2024-2025 school year. Fellows will work closely with the Library’s Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office and Informal Learning Office to make primary sources from the Library’s collections more accessible and useful for educators in science, technology, engineering and math across the country.Jessica Fries-Gaither, an elementary science…
    • Date: 2024-10-24
  • October 16, 2024  (24-089)
    Library To Host Trivia Night During Live! At the Library in November Visitors are invited for a night of trivia during Live! At the Library on Nov. 7. Teams of up to five people will test their knowledge on an array of collection items that have been preserved by the world’s largest library.Trivia participants will be invited to view a display of collection items from across the Library’s various divisions with curators. The display will provide…
    • Date: 2024-10-17
  • October 15, 2024  (24-090)
    2025 Innovator in Residence Creates Digital Adventures from the Collections The Library of Congress has appointed Seattle-based artist and developer Vivian Li as 2025 Innovator in Residence. With her project, “Anywhere Adventures,” Li will create a website experience for audiences in selected U.S. cities to learn about their hometowns through items from the Library’s digital collections. Through her popular social media series about the Seattle Fremont Bridge in 2023, Li found others who shared…
    • Date: 2024-10-16
  • October 14, 2024  (24-088)
    Librarian of Congress Names New Inspector General Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today, the appointment of Kimberly Figel Benoit as the inspector general for the Library of Congress. Formerly the assistant inspector general for audits of NASA, Benoit’s more than 20-year career comprises a broad professional portfolio spanning both the public and private sectors. Benoit has extensive federal audit and investigative experience in both the executive and legislative branches."It gives…
    • Date: 2024-10-15
  • October 2, 2024  (24-A10)
    Library Open for Federal Holiday Oct. 14 The Library of Congress will be open to visitors with timed-entry passes on the federal Columbus Day holiday, Monday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including public spaces in the Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions.In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the Library's magnificent Main Reading Room — a rare opportunity to go inside one of Washington’s most beautiful…
    • Date: 2024-10-03

September 2024

  • September 25, 2024  (24-084)
    Library Announces Grant Awards to Enhance Teaching with Primary Sources The Library of Congress Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office, under the Center for Learning Literacy and Engagement, has awarded Teaching with Primary Sources grants to 23 first-time and 19 continuing grantee organizations located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The current grants awarded in September provide one year of funding, with the possibility of two additional one-year grants, contingent upon successful delivery of…
    • Date: 2024-09-26
  • September 24, 2024  (24-086)
    NAACP Legal Defense Fund Records Newly Digitized and Now Available Online from the Library of Congress A major portion of the processed records of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund are now available online for the first time from the Library of Congress. Spanning the years 1915-1968, with most dating from 1940 to 1960, these records document the organization’s work as it combated racial discrimination in the nation’s courts, establishing in the process a public interest legal practice that…
    • Date: 2024-09-25
  • September 24, 2024  (24-085)
    Library of Congress Announces New Members of Copyright Public Modernization Committee The Library of Congress announced today the new membership of the Copyright Public Modernization Committee, which has been renewed for a second three-year term. The Copyright Public Modernization Committee was established to enhance communication with stakeholders and provide a public forum for the technology-related aspects of U.S. Copyright Office modernization. The first Copyright Public Modernization Committee meeting of the new term will be hosted…
    • Date: 2024-09-25
  • September 18, 2024  (24-083)
    Celebrate Comedy Night During Live! At The Library in October Visitors are invited to celebrate Comedy Night at the Library of Congress during Live! At the Library on Oct. 17. Join comedians Maria Bamford and Gary Gulman for a discussion on their latest books. Other activities will include a comedy challenge, in which participants can perform jokes and book humor. Enjoy a special performance by DC Improv, featuring eight polished punsters who each will…
    • Date: 2024-09-19
  • September 16, 2024  (24-079)
    Library of Congress Launches Inaugural “Our Constitution” Podcast In celebration of Constitution Day and the five-year anniversary of the Library of Congress website, the Constitution Annotated online, the Library of Congress is launching “Our Constitution,” a monthly podcast series that introduces listeners to the foundational legal document of the United States and how the nation’s charter has been interpreted over time. The U.S. Constitution establishes the federal government’s framework, its relationship to…
    • Date: 2024-09-17
  • September 11, 2024  (24-081)
    Sixth Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film Awarded to “Cartooning America” The Library of Congress, The Better Angels Society, Ken Burns, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced the winner of the sixth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film: “Cartooning America.” The director Asaf Galay will be awarded a $200,000 cash prize for the multi-part film about the Fleischer Brothers, a family of animators who created innovative techniques that transformed the…
    • Date: 2024-09-12
  • September 11, 2024  (24-080)
    Library of Congress to Hold Webinar on Forecasting the Potential Arrivals of the Next Respiratory Diseases This Winter The Library of Congress Health Service Division and Science, Technology and Business Division will host a webinar on Thursday, Sept. 19, where leading figures in epidemiology and disease forecasting will offer their predictions and strategies for managing respiratory diseases this winter. This event will provide healthcare professionals, public health officials, and the general public strategies to prepare for potential respiratory disease outbreaks.What: Webinar: Forecasting…
    • Date: 2024-09-12
  • September 10, 2024  (24-078)
    Library of Congress Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Jazz Legend Eddie Palmieri, Poetry Readings and a “Cartonero” Book Workshop The Library of Congress joins National Hispanic Heritage Month with a special presentation by legendary Latin jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri, readings by renowned Latino poets, a “cartonero” or handmade book workshop, and 50 audio recordings added to the Library’s historic PALABRA Archive. The monthlong celebration from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 honors the culture, history and contributions of the thriving Hispanic community to the…
    • Date: 2024-09-11
  • September 9, 2024  (24-077)
    Library of Congress Opens Award Nominations for Outstanding Federal Libraries, Librarians and Library Technicians To honor the innovations and successes of federal libraries, librarians and library technicians in meeting the information demands of government, businesses, scholarly communities and the public, the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) in the Library of Congress has opened nominations for its 27th annual awards for federal librarianship.For nomination materials, visit the “awards” section of the program’s website or email fliccfno@loc.gov. The nomination…
    • Date: 2024-09-10